Filature Arpin

Founded in 1817, this world-famous mill for woollen cloth and fabric is renowned for crafting the famous Bonneval cloth that would be used to make a tent for the King of Italy, Victor-Emmanuel II (1858), or equipping the Italian expeditions to the Himalayas (1890) and the "French Antarctic Expeditions" led by Paul-Emile Victor (1949). This cloth gets its name from Pierre Blanc, guide and hawker in Bonneval sur Arc in Maurienne. The mill attests to a textile industry that has been present in the Alpine valleys since the early 19th century. A tour of the workshops charts this amazing tale of the master woolmakers. It also unveils all of the techniques to you: carding, spinning and weaving... on machines that have been listed as Historical Monuments. In the shop selling the mill's own crafted fabrics, you can buy clothes, shoes, hats, blankets, cushions and even the Bonneval cloth… 2, Rue de la Filature - 73700 SéezTel: +33(0)4 79 09 49 27seez@arpin1817.comwww.arpin1817.comguided tours organised in partnership with Bourg-Saint-Maurice / Les Arcs Tourist Office